CHICAGO – If you didn’t know the name Ricardo Lamas before Saturday night, you should now.

Lamas brutalized former top contender Erik Koch with a nasty barrage of ground-and-pound blows that earned him a second-round TKO.

The bout opened up the main card of Saturday’s UFC on FOX 6 event at United Center in Chicago. It aired on FOX following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Both fighters started quickly as they looked to engage in the center. Despite several pawing jabs and a few high kicks from both fighters, nothing landed flush for either. Lamas eventually elected to look for a takedown, but Koch was up for the challenge as he defended against the fence. They broke with a little more than a minute remaining, but Lamas pushed right back into the clinch.

Koch immediately picked up his striking pace at the start of the second frame and was finding some early success before a slip eventually allowed Lamas to push in and take top position. From there, Lamas went to work with a thunderous barrage of massive elbows from the tops. Koch tried to turn and defend, but Lamas shots not only sliced open his opponent’s face but left him rocked before referee “Big” John McCarthy finally stepped in to halt the vicious assault.

With the victory, Lamas (13-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is now 7-1 in his past eight combined fights under the UFC and WEC banner and with wins over Koch (13-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Hatsu Hioki and Cub Swanson could potentially be in line for a No. 1 contender’s bout in his next appearance.

“I’ve beat Cub Swanson, I’ve beat Hioki, and now I’ve beat Koch,” Lamas said after the win. “All those guys were supposed to be fighting for the title at one point. I beat them all. We’re all here to be world champ and I am no different.

“I want the winner of Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar next week. I don’t care who wins; I want the winner. I think I’ve earned my shot, and I will perform like I did tonight.”